GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell

Finished early January 2011

I spent about a week reading, and skimming this excellent novel. It is a very linear, well written saga about The American South during the Civil War and The Reconstruction. The novel is seen through the eyes of Scarlet O'Hara, a strong-willed child of privilege who creates a life for herself without much thought of social consequences. The bane of her existence is that she cannot have the man of her dreams, Ashley Wilkes. And although Scarlet marries more than once, she cannot stop the yearning for the love of her life. Rhett Butler is deeply in love with Scarlet, yet even this dashing and resourceful figure can't make her forget the unattainable Ashley. While I was reading the novel, I ordered the four hour film from Netflix, and this provided another view of Mitchell's work. The commentary on the film was especially helpful, and both the novel and the film represent true classics in American literature.